Rare 1,000-Year-Old Quran Manuscript Unveiled at King Abdul Aziz Public Library, Riyadh

The King Abdul Aziz Public Library in Riyadh has unveiled a rare 1,000-year-old Quran manuscript named “Gharib al-Quran”, authored by the renowned scholar Abu Ubaidah Ma’mar ibn al-Musanna.

The manuscript dates back to the fourth Hijri century and consists of 23 folios measuring 17 by 22 centimeters. While the main text is written in clear Andalusian script, the names of the Surahs are inscribed in Kufi script.

The Riyadh library’s Quran collection is highly diverse, featuring works such as Abu Ishaq al-Jazzaz’s ‘I’rab al-Quran wa Ma’anihi’, Ibn Qutaybah al-Dinawari’s ‘Tawil Mushkil al-Quran’, Imam al-Tabari’s ‘Tafsir al-Tabari’, and Abu Bakr Muhammad al-Naqqash’s ‘Fi Ma’ani al-Quran wa Tafsirih’.

The library’s historical archive houses over 185 rare Quran manuscripts, along with numerous documents on Tafsir, Qira’at, Tajweed, Quranic sciences, and Mushaf manuscripts. Notable manuscripts include ‘Lubab al-Tawil fi Ma’ani al-Tanzil’, ‘Al-Taysir fi al-Tafsir’, ‘Tafsir al-Jalalayn’, and ‘Al-Jawahir al-Hisan fi Tafsir al-Quran’.